Secondary (also referred to as rechargeable) lithium metal batteries provide great promise for the next generation of energy storage devices due to the significantly higher energy density they provide. Unlike conventional lithium ion batteries, which contain anodes (also referred to as negative electrodes) formed from an intercalant material, such as graphite, lithium metal battery anodes are formed from lithium metal, for example, thin sheets of lithium metal coupled to current collectors. The intercalation anodes of lithium ion batteries only provide host structures for lithium ions and do not contribute to energy storage. Lithium metal battery anodes, by contrast, are formed, in part, by lithium metal, which contributes to energy storage, thereby significantly increasing volumetric and gravimetric energy density.